Field Load Tests of Open-Deck Timber Trestle Railroad Bridges
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FIELD LOAD TESTS OF OPEN –DECK TIMBER TRESTLE RAILROAD BRIDGES Richard M. Gutkowski, Professor Research Assistants: Geoffrey Robinson Abdalla Shigidi Colorado State University August 2001 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors graciously acknowledge the additional financial support provided by the Association of American Railroads. Also, Dr. Duane Otter, Ms. Diana Oliva and other technical personnel of the Transportation Test Center, Inc. in Pueblo, Colo., were directly involved in the planning and conduct of tests on site. The Union Pacific Railroad provided access to two of the bridge sites and personnel to assist in the control of the test train and field load tests. Many graduate and undergraduate students from Colorado State University (CSU) participated in the conduct of the test set-ups and field load tests. Dr. Marvin Criswell, Professor of Civil Engineering at CSU, provided extensive guidance in the M.S. thesis work of Mr. Geoffrey Robinson, done as an outcome of this project. Ms. Laura Ludwig provided the extensive staff assistance needed to prepare the report itself. DISCLAIMER The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the information presented. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or us thereof. ii AB STRACT A field load test program was conducted to evaluate three open-deck timber railroad trestle bridges. The bridges included part of a 31-span bridge, a four-span bridge with skewed interior bents and a three-span bridge. Piles of the chords of the bridges were evaluated non-destructively for material properties using an ultrasonic stress wave device. The bridges were modeled using typical frame analysis techniques to predict response to loads. Deflection and strain measurements were recorded from the load testing. The responses of the bridges to various loads are compared to the predicted responses from several analytical modeling assumptions. The diagnostic testing used loads applied statically by axles of a test train and ramp loads applied by a specially designed railroad test car. Rolling train loads were conducted usin g the axles of the test train. Displaced chord and ground reference deflections plus some strain measurements were recorded at selected locations. The bridges performed within the expected range of behavior predicted by the analytical models. The chord systems of the bridges performed as beams semi-continuous over multiple supports. Two forms of support motion were observed; motion of the caps and gap closing between individual pile s and the supporting caps. Load sharing among individual piles was examined empirically. No definable pattern for load sharing of the piles was identified. iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 12 In Situ Timber Railway Bridges ............................................................................................... 12 Goal and Objectives.................................................................................................................. 14 Test Program Description......................................................................................................... 15 Project Background................................................................................................................... 15 DESCRIPTION OF TEST BRIDGES .......................................................................................... 19 General Description of Open Deck Timber Trestle Bridges..................................................... 19 Bridge No. 32.35 (Fort Collins)............................................................................................... 20 Bridge No. 32.56 (Fort Collins)............................................................................................... 21 Bridge No. 101 (Pueblo) .......................................................................................................... 22 ASSESSMENT OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES......................................................................... 25 Objective and Background........................................................................................................ 25 Selection and Testing of Timbers ............................................................................................. 27 Stiffness Evaluation Results ..................................................................................................... 27 Analytical Modeling Approach..................................................................................................... 33 Pinned Single Span Beam Model ............................................................................................. 33 Continuous Beam Model.......................................................................................................... 34 Semi-Continuous Beam Model................................................................................................. 35 Extended Semi-Continuous Chord Model................................................................................ 37 Fixed End Beam Model............................................................................................................ 38 Load Application....................................................................................................................... 38 FIELD LOAD TESTING............................................................................................................. 41 Bridge Loading Equipment ....................................................................................................... 41 Load Test Methodology............................................................................................................ 42 Loadings Used....................................................................................................................... 42 Instrumentation..................................................................................................................... 46 RESULTS OF STATIC LOAD TESTS ....................................................................................... 51 Static Load Test Results – Bridge 32.35................................................................................... 51 Displacements Relative to the Displaced Chord....................................................................... 55 Measured Results .................................................................................................................. 55 Comparison of Analytical and Measured Results................................................................. 62 Deflections Relative to the Ground........................................................................................... 65 Measured Results .................................................................................................................. 65 Observations from the Static Load Testing .............................................................................. 73 RAMP LOADING TEST RESULTS ........................................................................................... 75 Ramp Loading Tests ................................................................................................................. 75 Bridge 101 Results.................................................................................................................... 75 Linear Behavior of Transducer and Extensometer Measurements ....................................... 78 Deflections Relative to the Displaced Chord........................................................................ 83 Displacements Relative to the Ground ................................................................................. 93 Investigation of Support Motion and Gap Closing................................................................... 98 LOAD DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN PILES............................................................................. 103 Empirical Formulation............................................................................................................ 103 1 ROLLING LOAD TESTS – BRIDGE 101 ................................................................................ 109 Conduct of the Tests ............................................................................................................... 109 Test Results............................................................................................................................. 109 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................... 119 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 121 2 LIST OF TABLES Table 3-1 Predicted E value summaries for measurements for all members of Bridge 32.35 tested with the Sylva Test ultrasonic test device………………………………………. 19 Table 3-2 Predicted E value summaries for measurements for all members of Bridge 32.56 tested with the SylvaTest ultrasonic test device……………………………………….. 20 Table 3-3 Predicted E value summaries for measurements for all members of Bridge 101 tested with the SylvaTest ultrasonic test device……………………………………………….. 20 Table 3-4 Predicted E value